Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-06-18
CITY AND DISTRICT.


To the Editor Of The EVENING STAR:
having recently made some suggestions and Is
sueo some warnings which have been received with
general favor, In regard to the web worms on the
tieeS i wish now to call attention TO two
other insects which are actively at work upon
Trees shrubs or vines In this city. One Of these
so-called oark-louse which Is found upon both
Dark and leaves OF the maple-trees, and at this
JASON especially upon the under side OF the leaves.
~ presents the appearance OF a mass of pure white
wax about inch long and y inch wide and
thick, with a brown scale on one end Each waxy
mas when broken open, may be drawn out into
nne white threads, and found to contain from five
hundred 70 thousand or more eggs These insects
AT present are comparatively harmless, as their
numbers bear a small proportion to the number of
leaves on the trees As each one Is q female how.
ever, and capable OF producing the thousand young
contained in the eggrmass. what trouble is taken
now 70 destroy the egg-masSes will be amply paid
Tor oy the future exemption OF the trees from IN
jury The eggs are likely 10 hatch at any time from
THIS on into July, so that although spraying with
an emulsion of kerosene with other nom poison
young II applied during the short period OF activity
OF these young, IL Is fmpractfcaole TO repeat the
spraying at intervals sufficiently frequent TO ex-
terminate the brood; and this remedy may, for
practical purposes, be dispensed with where It
cannot be applied regardless OF expense. Great
numbers OF the parent insects. with their
plucking the affected leaves and burning
she a,s6 ne he INSECTS attached to tine swgs
however, in all parts OF the tree, including
those which are inaccessible, this remedy Is only
the expense Necessary to put In practice more
efficient measures may be induced 10 pay $50 for
one OF "trof- Rileys tank-cartS, with spray -noL-
zles and extension poles" such as were recon-
mended In The STAR few days ago. And might
ADD remark, by the way In regard 70 these TANK;
oy you ON the 9Th instant, has been COM
mented upon In your paper OF the 18th by Mr..
l. U. Howard, who, although he dates bis COM
munication from "West Washington" is nOt0 "Of
the Division OF Entomology OF the Department OF
Agriculture" under the personal control of the Mr..
certain claims In bis communication Mr.. II. says
that "the tank cart was not, as Mr.. Mann states,
but was devised by Dr. Riley himself in the sum-
mer OF 1855 especially for the purpose OF spraying
shade trees and orchards" How little truth there
Is In this criticism so far as any essential features
of the device are involved, may be seen by CON-
pairing the figures and descriptions OF the
device In the pamphlet referred TO by Mr.. II.
with those in the report OF the Commissioner OF
Agriculture for 1881 and 1852, pages 159 TO 162,
and plate 9, published six months before the sum-
mer Of 1883 wherein the Identical Illustrations
and almost 1dentically the same descriptions are
given OF this apparatus, which was invented for
spraying cott0n-wormS. On page POS OF the same
report IL Is shown that casks OF liquid carried on
carts with hose and spray-noZzles supported by
bamboo poles were used in California In 1882, for
spraying large orchard trees. Perhaps "Dr. Riley
devised" "A tank with rectangular corners In 1883.
Us a substitute for a barrel,
In regard TO the harmleSsneSS Of arSenical sOlu-
lions, reference may be made TO page lis, OF the
Appendix 10 the Fourth Report OF the United
states chronological Commission, published In
stated that "in recently poisoned fleldS dead birds
and larger ground beetles have been reported found
the destruction Of which must doubt less be attn
buted 10 the poison. The number OF such cases Is,
perhaps, larger than can be actually proven"
There Is no danger, however, that the super1nten-
dent OF public parks will spray the residents OF
Washington with arSenical solutions, recon-
nlended by Mr.. Riley. Ii Is not worth while
TO dispute about any matters or opinion, but what
could have suggested TO Mr.. Howard the mention
OF the right OF a person who Is not OF the "Div1-
sion OF Entomology" 10 disagree with Prof. Rtley?"
The other Insect 10 which now allude Is a tuS-
sock, moth which appears at TINS season OF the
year In the form Of q caterpillar already half
grown, nearly 50, and 50 from One-han to three
quarters of an inch long, These caterpillars are
recognized readily by their possessing row offOur
white or yellow TUFTS ike short varntsh brushes
on their backs two long plulneS OF hairs project
ing ObllQuely over the head, and one such plume
projecting obliquely backward over the Their end
OF the body. They appear singly on the leaves Of
trees and vines, but are very destructive aud are
general feeders. Efficient and general measures
against them, aside from spraying, cannot be en-
pioyed In this stage OF their growth, but persons
who have valuable trailing vines or garden bushes
may preserve these from injury by proper search
for the caterpillarS on the leaves, and by then
crushing these caterpillars or brushing them into
hot water.
In the vicinity Of the web-worm nests as well
as elsewhere, may now be found very active, long
legged bugs, Win slender black heads aud chests,
anu swollen, brtSht-red bodies These bugs should
not be harmed a, they are among the most efficient
enemies OF the web-warm and the tusSOck-moth.
Any spraying OF the trees with kerosene emulsiOns
would be likely 10 KIN them. B. PICKMAN MANN.
June IL, 1887.